The Pits of Despair
by superwholockrem
Summary: Uther knows, and Merlin is going to pay... Trigger warning: Torture
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Merlin. Yet...

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Uther Pendragon was not a forgiving man. He was known for his rage against magic folk and anyone who dared attempt even the smallest spell would eventually have to face his wrath. His son, Arthur, was the only thing that the king loved more than he hated magic. When his wife died giving birth to Arthur, he swore to protect his beautiful boy from the corruption and evils of magic. So, when he saw his son's manservant lifting buckets from the well with magic, he could feel the anger and hatred bubble and boil under his skin. He called for the guards to arrest the peasent and bring him down to the lowest dungeons.

The chain around his neck felt heavy and was long enough so that he could stand and sit, but it was too short to allow much movement around the prison. Merlin could almost feel the hatred rolling off of the king as he walked into the small, dark cell.

"Merlin, you have been found guilty of treason against the crown. You are now stripped of your titles and rights." Uther stated in complete monotone.

"I apologize, yo-"

"NO!" Uther roared and backhanded Merlin across the face. The boy flew into the wall behind him and he fell to his knees in pain. "Do not SPEAK to me unless I ask you a question. You will answer the questions that I ask you in as few words as possible. If you do not answer the first time I ask, I will get someone to force the answer out of you. Is that clear?" Merlin nodded weakly, but that only made Uther more furious. "IS THAT CLEAR?" He kicked the warlock in his stomach and he pressed his forehead to the ground, his body instinctively curling around the injured area.

"Yes, your majesty." He gasped and coughed. Uther nodded straightened up, and walked out of the cell, his guards following right after him. Merlin listened to their retreating footsteps and overheard parts of his punishments.

"...complete darkness... meals once a day... water... interrogation... manservant... Morgana... Arthur must not know..." The king was too far away to hear much more of what he was saying. Now, Merlin was alone.

The cell was one of the ones that had been used in the earlier days of The Great Purge, when hundreds of sorcerers were burned each day. People were packed like animals in those cells and kept there for days until it was their turn for execution. There was no beds or chamberpots, everyone slept on the floor and designated a small area for the bathroom.

It had been cleaned a few times since then. It still stunk of blood and urine, but Merlin supposed that those smells would be impossible to get out of the walls. The cell was so dark that if he held his hand in front of his face, he couldn't see it. He shivered in the suddenly cold air. The walls felt as if they were leaching the warmth from his body. Of course he had already tried to unlock the door and the chains around his neck, but nothing had happened. He supposed that there were charms put on the doors to absorb the magic that he threw at it. The only sounds that could be heard in the cell were water dripping from the ceiling, a rat scurrying down the hall away from him, and his own breathing.

Suddenly, the warlock was hit with a huge wave of dread that ate his insides until tears pricked his eyelids. Most likely Uther would tell Gaius, Arthur, and Morgana that Merlin decided to go back home. His friends would never think that anything was wrong, for he knew that ever since his village was attacked, he visited his mother often. Yet there was one small spark of hope that said, 'You always tell one of them when you are leaving. They'll notice that there is no note from you and they'll find you.'

But the other part of his brain argued, 'Yes, but the king will then tell them about your magic and they will see you as nothing more than a monster. They will think that you deserved this.' After a while of his brain arguing with itself nonstop about how his friends will react, he shoved his hands over his ears.

"No. No. NO! SHUT UP!" He yelled at himself and the all-powerful sorcerer, the man of the prophecies, the warlock, Emrys, the man who will bring magic back to Albion, the most powerful warlock ever to walk the earth... began to cry.

* * *

Hey! How are you on this fine day? Merlin isn't doing too well, but Uther is pretty damn pleased! Surprisingly, after one of my friends read it, she began to giggle. I don't know what that says about her sanity... Anyway, I'll be on a trip for a few days, so it'll be hard to write. I might not update this one for a while. At the same time, I might be quicker to update my stories. For the people that are reading Angels and Cannibals, don't worry! I'm just exercising my angsty writing brain! Please review this so I can know how to make my writing style better!

Thanks for reading!

REM


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Merlin. I wish I could at least meet him, but no. He's fictional.

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The sun rose and Prince Arthur was sleeping soundly in his bed. It was fluffy and warm and comfortable. He didn't want to get out out of bed, but he knew that Merlin was coming in soon, so his hand curled around a goblet and he drifted off...

"Good morning, sire."

The goblet slipped from his fingers and hit the ground with a loud CLANG! The prince stared at the unfamiliar figure in his room, and the figure averted his eyes and move to the side of the bed, bent down, and picked up the metal cup. The man then stood at the side of the bed and awaited orders.

"Uhm," Arthur's questioning gaze went unnoticed by the new servant, so he tried again. "Where's Merlin?"

The boy cocked his head to the side. "Merlin, sire?" His mouth opened in realization. "You mean your previous manservant, sire?" Arthur nodded slowly and pouted unhappily, as if the poor servant boy was an idiot. "He has gone back home to his mother, sire. He said that it was urgent and permanent."

Arthur's eyebrows shot up. "PERMANENT?" He exclaimed, "That must be wrong. He was getting his money from his job, to pay for his mothers expenses. He would send half of his earnings back to Ealdor for his mother. Not only that, but he would have delivered the note to me in person. Also, he is to damn loyal to leave. He has devoted so much to his job, he wouldn't leave it for nothing!"

The servant just nodded and looked down. It was obvious that he was hiding something.

"What is it? What do you know?" Arthur squinted at the servant boy, who fidgeted under his glare, then finally cracked.

"He left a note with Giaus!" He said it quickly. "Sire." He quickly added as an after-thought.

Arthur nodded at the boy, then started walking out of the door. He heard his "new manservant" call his name. When he spun around, ready to yell at the poor boy, he saw his clothes laid out in the servants arms.

"You might want to get dressed before you walk out into the castle, sire."

"Of course." He breathed in a calming breath and grabbed the clothes out of the servants arms. He had to admit, the servant was pretty good. Except for all of the 'sire's. That would get annoying eventually.

"What's your name?" Arthur inquired.

"David, sire." He said, timidly. The prince poked his head out from behind his changing screen.

"I'm sorry, but I don't need another manservant. Merlin will come back."

The servant nodded, unsurely and looked down at his feet. The royal almost felt bad for the boy. Almost.

"GIAUS!" Giaus winced as the price bellowed his name for the fifth time through the castle. The golden haired boy threw the door opened and the old man glared.

"I have to do my rounds." He grabbed his bag and a note fluttered out. Arthur caught it before it hit the ground. "That...wasn't there last night."

With trembling hands, Arthur read the note. It said that Merlin could not stay and that his mother was gravely ill. He said in the letter that he was sorry to have to resign his position in the royal household and that he would miss Giaus and Gwen very much. The thing that struck the golden prince as off was that he never once mentioned for Arthur to not be a prat. Or his strange nicknames. Or MORGANA. Or...their friendship.

Giaus took his magnifying glass up to it and compared it with another one of Merlin's letters. He nodded and glanced up at the concerned prince.

"This one is a forgery. It's quite good, but Merlin has a very distinctive writing style. This person understood what he had to write, but didn't know how. The lines are quite shaky and nervous and look very forced. This is not Merlin."

Uther looked out onto his people. He had saved them from another sorcerer. A slight grin graced his lips as he thought about how his city was saved once more by their king, until...

"FATHER!" The door slammed opened, revealing Arthur and his new manservant, both looking quite disheveled. "I need to go on a hunting trip. I'll be back in a few days."

"No, Arthur."

"Why not, Father?" His face and stance both showed extreme annoyance.

"Because you are just going off to looks for that servant of yours. He's gone, Arthur. I saw him on his way out. He looked quite distressed as I bid him a good trip. That boy wanted me to stop you from trying to look for him, so I am only relaying his message. No hunting trips."

The prince stood up slightly straighter, his eyes impassive, his face unreadable. He bowed to his father and left the chambers as quick as he could.

The kings fist clenched in anger. The sorcerer had obviously enchanted his son. The boy, Merlin, must be punished for this. He must stop the enchantment. Or die trying.

Hey. Surprise! Sorry that these chapters are all so short. I'm trying my hardest to write as fast as I can, but the inspiration is all coming to this story instead of Angels and Cannibals. The next chapter may be a bit longer, but it also may be the same length. I hope you enjoyed reading this! The review button may develop a localized gravitational field.

Thanks for reading!

REM


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Merlin. I'm pretty sure he's not for sale. (I checked.)

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Merlin was woken up by a hard kick to his abdomen.  
"WAKE UP, YOU FILTHY DEMON!" A guard screamed at him, and he covered his ears, the loud sudden sound nearly sending him into a panic attack. He felt so exhausted that he nearly fell back to sleep as soon as the guard stopped kicking him. The former manservant slowly opened his eyes to see two guards standing over him. The older of them held the others arm and pulled him away from the prisoner, shaking his head and glaring. The younger one glared at Merlin, but let his elder pull him away from the downed boy.  
They growled at each other, the older one standing in front of Merlin. He was protecting him. Merlin blinked in surprise and uncurled from his position on the floor. The younger guard gave the prisoner one last scathing look before he left the cell. Merlin breathed in a shaky breath as he rubbed his ribs. The guard looked at him and let his long hair fall into his face.  
"Th-Thank you." Merlin stuttered and the guard smiled a charming smile.  
"You would do the same for me, wouldn't you, MERlin!" The guard knelt down and grinned at him, a signature grin plastered on his face. Now that he saw the guards face, he gasped in recognition.  
"GWAINE!"  
"That's me!" The drunkard looked over his friend, who's had now caught onto Gwaine's contagious smile. "You look like you crawled out of hell, and been getting screwed over ever since!"  
"Well, you look...the same." Merlin's insult fell very short. He began trembling from the cold or the fear, he didn't know which. "You have to get out of here. If Uther catches you, he'll kill you."  
"I've been in worse situations." Heavy footsteps were coming towards the cell at a very quick rate. The drunkards face fell as he stood up and spun towards the cell door. "Sorry, Merlin. I'm outa time. But one thing."  
"Yeah?"  
Gwaine looked back to the warlock. "Are you really a sorcerer?"  
Merlin face fell. "Warlock, actually."  
The rogue grinned and beat the air with his fist. He then looked forward and stood at attention, his hair falling back into his face, hiding his features. Torchlight flickered against the wall outside of the cell. Uther unlocked the door, himself, anger marring his features, making him look like a goblin in the torchlight. Merlin shielded his eyes from the light as two other guards walked in behind the king as Gwaine walked out, matching scowls covering their faces. One was carrying a torch, and the other, a set of heavy chains.  
"Hold out your arms."  
Merlin complied and held out his wrists, still leaving his eyes closed to try and filter out the light. Looking near the light felt like he was looking at the sun, the brightness in the total darkness burning his eyes. He felt the cold metal slip tightly onto his wrists. Just as he thought he was getting ready to be moved, the guard began fumbling with the metal collar around his neck. Merlin's arms were lifted as he felt the two chains being secured to his collar. When he pushed his hands down, the collar bit into his neck and he felt blood trickle down his back. A blindfold was tied around his head and he sighed in relief until the neck chain was jerked forward and he stepped into what he would remember as the depths of hell.

The new cell was deeply tucked under the castle, almost as far as the dragons cell. The heat was so intense that Merlin began sweating when the room was a few feet away. It was smaller than the other one and smelled twice as worse of urine, blood, and other bodily fluids or waste, as if it had been used fairly recently. Momentarily, Merlin's heart went out to that person until the guards chained his arms to the walls and cranked until his arms were fully extended. The source of the heat was at his back and he twisted to try and avoid the pain spreading across his whole back. Uther then appeared in his line of vision and smiled cruelly at the prisoner.  
"It seems that you have many people on your side, boy," he spat the word as if it was poison on his tongue, "You will release them now, and I will kill quickly. If not..."  
A guard came up from behind Merlin, momentarily blocking the heat and making the boy wish that they stood behind him. In the guards arms was a branding iron that was usually used to mark their pigs or cattle before they went to the slaughter house. Merlin began tugging and squirming in his chains.  
"No, please..." He begged.  
"Then end your spell." Uther held out the rod until Merlin could feel the heat radiating off of it. His struggles became more frantic and his voice rose a pitch.  
"NO, PLEASE! There is no spell. I swear. THERE IS NO SPELL!" His body was racked with sobs as he struggled.  
Uther looked at him coldly, his gaze disappointed. "There must be." He pressed the branding iron to the flesh near the boy's neck and just over the collarbone. At first, all he smelled was his sizzling flesh.  
Merlin screamed.  
The pain exploded up his neck and he threw his head back and gasped. His screams became hoarse and his mind decided to separate him from the pain.  
Unconsciousness took its hold.

* * *

Hey! I almost wanted to be nice to Merlin, until I remembered that he was fictional. The next chapter will probably be up in about a week or so.

Thank you to all of the people who have stayed with me the whole time. Thank you to my new readers. Thank you to everyone that reviewed or favorited or followed! You guy are the best! I hope you enjoyed reading this more than I enjoyed writing it! I felt really had for Merlin while writing this, but at the same time, I got some sadistic pleasure.

Thanks for reading!

REM


	4. Chapter 4

I still don't own Merlin. Surprise surprise.

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"No, Gaius. You're wrong!" Arthur insisted.  
"Arthur, you were barely an infant during the Great Purge. You can't remember what your father did! He tortured many sorcerers back when you were barely a month old." Gaius growled at the stubborn prince. "Don't pretend that your father is innocent. He's probably looking for Merlin as we speak!"  
"What is going on?" Morgana's heels clicked across the floor as her and Gwen walked up to the fuming men.  
"It's Merlin. Someone forged a note claiming that he went to visit his mother indefinitely. It was a good forgery, but not good enough." Arthur explained, "I asked father if I could look for him, and he told me that he saw Merlin on his way out. He claimed that the idiot told me not to follow him. Gaius thinks that's untrue. He thinks that father is looking Merlin," He looked back at Gaius and the old man nodded, "because that cabbage head has magic." Morgana gasped, her hands balling up at her sides. Gwen would have fallen if Arthur hadn't caught her and lowered her into the bench. "Neither of you knew?" The woman shook their heads. "How could have hid it so well?"  
Gaius smiled. "Harsh discipline on the side of me and his mother through verbal attacks or slight whacks on the head every time he used magic for any purpose other than saving someone's life or if he used it for things that could be done easier by hand."  
"Couldn't he have attacked you with magic? Why did he dabble in that wicked art in the first place!" Morgana's eyes were wide and her hand over her heart. Gwen squeezed her hand and pulled her gently backward until the back of her knees hit the bench. She sat down gracefully, her eyes moving back and forth quickly, trying to understand how her innocent, sweet friend who had been kind to her and everyone else could possibly harbor such a terrible secret. Arthur waited until she looked up at him to continue his friends story.  
"Merlin has had magic since he was born. He used to float food over to himself when he was hungry." And Gaius took over the story. He told them about lady Helen, Segon, the questing beast, Lancelot, and Gwaine. Then, he told them about Balinor, Will, and Freya. He told them about the Great Dragon and the Druids. By the time he finished his tales, the women were speechless and Arthur was staring out the window, his expression serious and tired.  
"I knew none of this." The prince said, "I gave him more chores than he could handle, just to watch him squirm. I threw things at him. I used him as a punching bag during training. He lost everything for a man who treated him like dirt. He deserved better than me."  
Gaius put his hand on the other man's shoulder. "We just have to find him before Uther. If the king does find him before we do, he will be in real trouble. He will think that Merlin wants to kill you for power."  
"But Merlin is the most selfless person that I have ever meet!" He looked at the old man in shock. "Surely, if I tell him that Merlin doesn't have-"  
"Don't, Arthur." Gaius shook his head and looked down. "Uther will only think that you are enchanted. He probably thinks that you already are under a spell. It will make it worse for Merlin. So much worse." He whispered the last part as if he was remembering something that had happened so long ago. When the screams of the innocent rang through the castle halls...  
"Gaius?" Morgana touched the old man's hand and he jumped in shock. He smiled down at the kings ward.  
"We'll fine him. We have to." Gaius looked pointedly at Arthur and he nodded. After everything that the prince and his manservant had done together, Merlin was in trouble.  
He sat down at the table and began to create a plan.  
It was Arthur's turn to save his friend.

The prince of Camelot walked through his halls and chose 6 of his guards. "You six will go to Ealdor. When you get to the city of Ealdor, try to find my manservant, Merlin, or his mother, Hunith. If you find my manservant, arrest him. Keep his mother safe and out of the danger. She is a kind woman, but he is a danger to us all."  
Leon nodded, confusion passing over his face. Arthur came up behind him and whispered something in his ear. The soldier nodded and grinned.  
"Yes, sire." He grabbed a horse and slid onto the saddle, still grinning at the prince like a madman.  
As the blond triumphantly walked through the halls and towards his room, he held his head high and his chest out.  
Suddenly, a pair of hands gripped the front of his shirt and he was yanked into a small alcove. His back slammed against the wall and his breath was momentarily knocked from his lungs. When he tried to yell for the guards, a hand was shoved over his mouth. He looked at his assailant and realized that he was practically nose to nose with Gwaine.  
The rogue was wearing the attire of a guard but reeked of the ale that he always drank. His eyes burned with wild fury and he held Arthur in place with his one hand and balled up his fist in the rich fabric with the other.  
"What have you done?" He hissed. Arthur's eyebrows rose and Gwaine took his hand off of the princes mouth and wiped the spit on the blonds front. "Start talking."  
"What are you talking about, Gwaine? I just sent Leon out to find you and Lancelot!"  
"Find me?" His anger mixed with confusion, "Why did you want to find me?"  
"To find Merlin!" Arthur rolled his eyes as if it was obvious.  
Gwaine breath led deeply through his nose and stepped back, his anger not focused on Arthur, but on the world. "So you mean to tell me," he took another breath, "that you have nothing to do with what is happening in the dungeons?"  
Arthur's eyebrows knit together. "No... What is happening in the dungeons...?"  
The drunkard's eyes flashed with his wild anger as he growled, "Merlin."  
Arthur's eyes widened in shock and anger. "No." He whispered. Spinning, he slammed his hand into the bricks in the wall. "NO!"  
"Shhhhhh! I'm still banished! If I'm caught, I'll be killed." Gwaine squeezed the princes shoulder and sighed. "I know."  
"Get to Gaius's. Don't get caught." Arthur walked out of the alcove his back to Gwaine.  
"What are you going to do?" The rogue actually sounded concerned for the royal.  
"Something that will either save Merlin or damn him."

Arthur barged into the throne room and saw his father on his throne, eyes shining with happiness and pride as he saw his son walk towards him. It was disgusting. How could he smile when he was torturing his son's best friend on his property?  
"Father, what have you done?"  
Uther shifted on his throne, his eyebrows knitting together. "What do you mean-?"  
"I MEAN MERLIN!" He cut his father off, shouting, screaming, anger radiating off of him.  
"Oh, my son. He has enchanted you, too." He walked up to his son and rested his hand on Arthur's cheek, "None of the thoughts that you are thinking are your own." The anger in Uther's eyes grew crazed. "Guards!" The prince felt people gripping his arms and the king lead the guards over to a door at the back of the throne room. He unlocked it with a key that swung from a chain around his neck.  
The stairway and tunnel was pitch black. No light came in from windows, and the only source of light they had was a torch. Their shadows danced against the walls as the flames moulded the complete darkness around them. The only cell that was occupied was the one at the very end. From that cell, jagged breathing and gasps of pain were the only sounds that broke the silence besides the water that dropped from the ceiling. The guards that held Arthur walked inside of the tiny cage with Uther.  
The prisoner was curled up in the corner, a chain cutting slightly into his neck, a raw, inflamed burn shaped like an "S" standing out on his ridiculously pale skin just above his collarbone. He held his hands out in front of him, shielding his eyes from the light and whimpered as the guards came near. His skin was sweaty, but he trembled with cold because the infected burn had obviously gotten him sick. The shock of messy black hair was extremely familiar. In fact, it belonged to the person that he had been looking for the whole week.  
"M-M-Merlin?"

* * *

Hey. What's Arthur gonna think? What is his plan? Is it stupid, or is it clever? Did Arthur know that Merlin would be this bad off? What will happen? Oooooooh!

Sorry for the cliffy, but I hope it was good! Hopefully, I'll update in a week or so.

Thanks for reading!

REM


	5. Sorry!

Hello my dear readers! I'm sorry for the lack of updates. I have been testing my skills and trying to write an original story, so my updates will be MUCH less frequent then they have been in the past. Homework has been stacking up and I really need to do my school work. Maybe I'll be able to post a chapter in a week, but just know that I am trying my best to cope with everything.

Sorry again!  
REM


	6. Chapter 5

I don't own Merlin. He belongs to himself. He is not an object to be sold

* * *

Previously...

_The shock of messy black hair was extremely familiar. In fact, it belonged to the person that he had been looking for the whole week._  
_"M-M-Merlin?"_

* * *

Merlin's body tensed as he heard his master say his name. He began to tremble, tears flowing freely down his cheeks and he put his hands down, daring to glance up at the shocked prince as two other guards walked in and placed themselves beside the boy.  
"Arthur." Merlin said the name with so much sorrow that Arthur stumbled back in shock.  
"SILENCE!" Yelled Uther as he backhanded the boy across the face, a red cut staining his cheek.  
"You may not address my son by any other name than 'sire'."  
Arthur regained his composure and looked his father straight in the eye. "Why is my manservant in your dungeons? What has he done that is so horrendous that you tort-"  
"He is guilty of treason against the crown. He is a sorcerer and has already been stripped of all titles and rights. He is no better then the dirt on your shoe, Arthur. Not only has he practiced magic, but he has enchanted you, my son." Uther looked at his son with sadness, but Arthur held his gaze.  
"He's my servant. Shouldn't I be the one to punish him the way I intend to do so?" Merlin looked up at Arthur, clearly surprised at the words coming out of his mouth. His master didn't seem at all perturbed by his magic and, instead, was suggesting that he thought Uther, his father, the king, was wrong in punishing a sorcerer.  
Uther sighed and shook his head. "He has twisted your mind."  
"You Majesty, I think I would have known whether I was not myself anymore." He said, a hint of amusement creeping into his voice which didn't fully cover up the underlying tone of panic. Uther just shook his head and signaled to the guards that flanked Merlin. They nodded and left, bringing back a two foot long water trough that they used for the horses. It was filled only to the half way point and placed in front of the warlock. Merlin almost laughed at the irony. He had filled and cleaned those things that he knew them almost better than the horse that drank from it.  
"I'm sorry." One of the guards mumbled in his ear. He didn't recognize the mans voice, so he figured that he didn't know the guard very well. Still, the man had apologized and shown that not everyone hated him, and for that, Merlin was grateful.  
Uther planted his feet in front of the warlock, yet far enough to the side that Arthur could see what was happening. "What spell have you put on my son?"  
Merlin's breath came out in ragged gasps. "There is no spell." His voice was ruff from screaming when he had been branded and when the guards had beat him earlier because 'they wanted to have a little bit of fun' and 'watch him dance'.  
Uther nodded and one of the guards unchained Merlin from the wall, took the back of his head, and pushed him under the water. At first, the boy took a few gulps to quench his thirst, and tried to go back to the surface. The hand push him back under the water. His lungs began to burn as he put his hands on the side of the container, pushing as hard as he could against the edges of the wooden box. He felt splinters digging into his hands as he struggled, his hands tensing, his fingers splaying out. The boy began to feel dizzy from the lack of oxygen and he began to drift off. His body became limp and he breathed in a small amount of water right before the hand yanked him back up. He fell to the side, coughing up water and bile as he heard his master scream his name in disbelief.  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HIM?" Arthur's face was bright red with rage as he fought against the two guards that held him back. "WE DON'T TORTURE PEOPLE, EVEN IF THEY HAVE MAGIC. YOU ALWAYS TAUGHT ME THAT THEY SUFFER AS MUCH AS THEY NEED TO AND NO MORE."  
Uther ignored his sons protests as he kicked Merlin in the ribs. The boy was flung against the wall and he cried out in pain, his chest still sore from previous beatings. "Undo the enchantment you have placed on my son, and your death will be much quicker than if you don't."  
"There is no enchantment, Your Majesty!" He cried. The guard yanked the chain and Merlin was once again forced in front of the trough on his knees. He put his hands on the sides and when the guard pushed him under, he fought harder than he had done before. He grabbed at the arm holding him down and at the sides of the trough, but it ended up the same way. Once again, the young warlock almost fell unconscious, but right before the darkness swallowed him, he was yanked roughly to the surface and thrown on the ground. Arthur was still struggling with the guards, anger evident in his face. He screamed out obscenities at the guards for holding him back and at his father for doing this to Merlin. Uther pretended that he couldn't hear his son, and nodded to the guard, who yanked the ex manservant back in place.  
Merlin began to shake and pushed against the trough as hard as he could. "N-N-No!" He stuttered partly from the cold, but mostly from the fear. He tried to stand up, but the guards shoved him back to his knees. He reached out toward his old master. "Arthur! Please!"  
His breaths came in short gasps as he struggled and, suddenly, he felt his eyes change color. A rippling wave of energy flung the guards to the walls and Uther stumbled out of the cell. The only two people who remained unaffected by the blast were Merlin and Arthur.  
The prince ran to Merlin and held onto his shoulders as the warlock slowly drifted into an unsteady state of unconsciousness.  
"Merlin. Hey, c'mon." Arthur lightly tapped his cheek and tried to wake him up. An idea popped into his mind and he put it into action. "You're late for work, Merlin. You have to get up."  
"Too tired today." He mumbled so quietly that the prince barely heard it. "Prat can...do...own chores."  
Hands grabbed Arthur and yanked him away from Merlin. He was roughly shoved out of the cell, dragged back up the dark stairs, and tossed back into his father's throne room.  
The warlock trembled in the cold, dank air as he heard Uther give one last instruction to the guard.  
"Give him 15 lashes." He handed the guard a leather whip with a large, comfortable grip and the guard was so surprised that he just stared at the thing for about a minute until Uther growled, "Is that clear? Or should I use simpler terms?"  
The guard, whose name was Ben, swallowed and said, "But, sire, I don't actually think that he will last that long."  
Uther looked at the boy in the cell in disgust. The cell had been especially made for Uther during the Great Purge and was supposed to absorb any magic that had been placed in the room, into the walls and yet that... THING had been able to use its power against them. He was astounded and, frankly, scared. When it came to magic people, he knew one thing for certain. "His magic will keep him alive."  
The door closed with a loud bang and Merlin hunched in the darkness as he stared at one point in the wall and curled up into a ball. He would not let them whip him. Not ever. When Ben came over to get him, he slapped away the hands and kicked and flailed, hoping for the guard to just give up. He screamed and shouted until his throat was hoarse, but Ben managed to grab his wrists anyway. The guard, who was actually heart broken by the boy's cries, shoved the manacles on the boys wrists and dragged him down the hallway and into the torture room with Merlin fighting the whole way. The room was dark and cold, the fire no longer lit in the furnace in the corner. The warlock began trembling so hard that the chains were shaking as well. When the guard finally strung him up, Merlin was sobbing and begging the guard to let him go. Ben picked up the whip and called out to the other guard who had been given the torture job.  
"I'm so sorry about this, Merlin." Ben mumbled as he handed the whip over to the other guard.

The guards stepped aside to let Uther gracefully step into the throne room while he slipped his dark gloves on and Arthur lunged at the opened door. It slammed in his face and he hit it full on with a loud crash. He fell to his knees and pressed his forehead against the door.  
Arthur squeezed his eyes shut, pain filling him from the inside of his stomach, grief tearing him apart. "If he undoes the spell that has been placed on most of the castle, will you give him a quick death?"  
"No, my son." Uther placed his hand on the princes shoulder. "He will be tortured to death for his crimes, but it would be quicker than if he does not undo the enchantment. You will be confined to your room until the spell is lifted."  
"Father-"  
"Only a small number of people will be allowed to see you. I will make up that list, but until then, you must remain in your chambers."  
"Father, please-"  
"Once the boy is either dead or he releases the spell, you will be allowed to roam the castle once more. Guards!" The guards that had escorted him down to Merlin's cell opened the door and caught the prince before he had a chance to try and go back down the corridor. "Take my son to his room, he may only leave once I allow him to. I will write a list of people who may see him, but until then, no one is to enter his room."  
"Please, father. Listen to me!"  
"Silence, child. Your thoughts are not you own. That THING in the Traitor's Dungeons has twisted your mind with sorcery. I'm doing this for you, Arthur," he looked as his son straight in the eyes, "You must understand that."  
'Traitor's dungeons?' Arthur thought to himself as he was dragged up to his chambers. He smiled slightly. 'A small slip of the tongue may have just destroyed fathers plan.'

* * *

Hey, my friends! I'm SO sorry for the delay. I've been just about drowning in end-of-the-year work and I finally got a break after finishing my few hours of homework for the weekend. I've been so exhausted, so I apologize if this chapter isn't as good as some of the others.  
So, what do you think? What will happen to Merlin? Will he last the whipping? Will he turn into human whipped cream? How will Arthur save him if he is under heavy surveillance? What about the rest of his friends? Will they become big characters? Will Morgause randomly appear and start bitching about Morgana and how she is her sister? Will Uther suddenly become regretful and then let Merlin go and apologize? What will happen? ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.  
Did you enjoy this chapter? How can I improve? Please review and tell me what you like and what you hate.  
Thank you so much for waiting, reviewing and reading!  
REM


	7. Chapter 6

I will always hope to one day be the person to bring Merlin back, but until that day, I do not own Merlin. (Update: Warning- anxiety attacks)

* * *

Morgana nodded, her head slightly spinning. "Merlin is a warlock. No one should be condemned because of who they are." She sat down in front of the old man and looked over the map. "Walk me through the plan."

"Well," Arthur's voice startled her. She had forgotten that he was there and that they were, in fact, sitting in his room, "we still need someone who can slip passed the guards without being noticed. We are both royalty. We would be noticed immediately. Gaius is in an unsafe position already because my...father," he spat the word like poison on his tongue, "is investigating him and about his knowledge of Merlin's magic. Gwaine is too large to slip passed anyone and is still one of Camelot's most wanted."

Gwen suddenly walked in, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. Her dress was muddy and looked as if she had been kneeling on the ground. "I'll do it. The guards will think I'm one of the kitchen staff. They fell for it once. They probably _will_ fall for it again because they really are not that smart. This time, I'll warn the kitchen servants so that they know what is happening. The cook, Betty, was always trying to get Merlin to eat more and everyone like him. It was hard not to. They will help you in any way they can to help save Merlin."

Arthur stepped forward, a questioning amusement creeping into his features. "Guinevere, were you listening outside of the door?"

She looked down in embarrassment. "I was looking for Morgana and I heard you mention Merlin's name, sire. My friend was being discussed, so I really wanted to make sure everything was okay." She smiled shyly. "Sire." She added as an afterthought.

"Hello, sire!" David walked into the room with a large tray of food, which he nearly dropped when he saw who was in the room. "M'lady!" He bowed to Morgana. "Gaius!" He nodded at the old man. "Gwen!" He grinned at the maidservant, and she returned the favor. The boy put the tray down on the table and "Forgive me for asking this question, but why are you all here?"

Arthur turned towards the manservant. "You remember that manservant that you replaced, Merlin?"

David hesitated. "Uhm... I really... I... Maybe... He was... Ugh. Fine. I DO remember him, sire. He was kind and thoughtful and I regret taking his job. I heard you talking about hleping him escape. He helped me on several occasions. Everyone in the castle misses him. We just have no idea where he went. The servants all know that he wouldn't have left us without a goodbye or notice beforehand."

"Why haven't you said anything?!"Arthur's initial reaction was shock, then anger and annoyance. "Why did you keep this from me? Haven't I been a kind and accepting master? And what do you repay me with? Lies and deceit."

"Sire, please..."

"You had one chance to tell me the truth. For a week, now, you have been serving me. You've had plenty of time to report back to my father."

"Sire, listen..."

"NO!" He hadn't realized that he had trapped his servant against the wall. "You have chosen the wrong time to mess with me. My best friend is in danger and you have just made a dangerous man furious and do you know what can happen?" His arm was at the other boys chest.

"It was your father!" David yelled in fear. "He made me report back to him and tell him about you. He said if I didn't, he would kill my family and torture me. I told him everything except your plans to help Merlin escape. He told me not to talk about Merlin and to make it seem like I never knew him to try and help you get used to never hearing his name. Please believe me, sire, I didn't want to do it!" The boy was panicking and he shrunk back into the wall, looking like he wanted to dissolve into it. Tears were filling his eyes, which were begging Arthur to understand and let him go. Arthur stared back, a deadly anger burning into his skull.

"Arthur." Morgana appeared behind him and touched his arm. "He wants to help us. Plus," she eyed the young boy, "he could be vital if we want this plan to work."

Arthur paused for a second, then slowly took his arm from his manservants' chest. He was still furious, but knew that if he attacked his servant now, David probably wouldn't want to help a psycho prince and they couldn't afford to lose him. The boy slid down the wall and slumped to the ground, hyperventilating with tears falling down his cheeks. His heart was fluttering in his chest and he was trembling slightly from a combination of fear, exhaustion, and stress that was unhealthy for a normal person, let alone this peasant boy. He was weak enough from lack of food and sleep that he was ready to collapse before his master attacked him.

"Okay." Arthur nodded and Gwaine helped the trembling servant get to the table. "Please explain the plan to the newcomers."

The small crowd of people sat at the table and Gaius nodded, looking around the table at each individual person. Arthur, Gwaine (who was being surprisingly silent), David, Gwen, and Morgana. Finally, there were all united under the same cause. Gaius smiled and stood up, pointing to the map.

"Here's how this is going to work..."

* * *

Hey my friends! I'm SO EXTREMELY sorry for the long wait. I have been so busy with school and everything else that I've had only a few minutes a week to write. Luckily, my brother just graduated, so I got the day off. I'm writing this on my phone, so I'm gonna keep this short.

You people are amazing. Please review. Reviews are love and inspire me to write. Tell me what I can improve on and what is good.

Thank you so much for waiting, reviewing, and reading!

REM

Update: I'm sorry if this is confusing, but it might be easier to understand later when the little addition becomes vital to the story line. I'm sorry if it is offending to some people!

Another update: I decided it wasn't needed. Sorry!


	8. Chapter 7

As soon as Gwen walked though the door to the kitchen, the kitchen maids swarmed around her. Their voices all meshed together and rose until the maidservant covered her ears and curled up in a ball. The sound stopped almost as quickly as it had started, Tears trickled down Gwen's cheeks and she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, ladies," she sobbed, "Merlin is in bad shape. He isn't responding to the prince and he's worse off then we had thought. Much worse."

Gasps could be heard from several of the kitchen staff. Judy, the main cook, waded through the sea of woman and hugged Gwen, letting the girl cry onto her shoulder. She was a portly woman with a heart as big as her appetite. While all of the kitchen staff admired and loved the princes clumsy, goofy manservant, Judy had personally taken up the role of his mother while Hunith stayed in Ealdor. She made him sit down every day after he delivered Arthur's breakfast and eat a whole plate of food before he was allowed to carry on with the day.

"You look like you're only sink and bones!" she would always tell him, her hands on her hips, "To be the Princes' manservant, you need to have energy and how will you get energy without food in your belly!"

When Judy had heard about Merlin's incarceration, she had gone up to the king and told him, immediately, that she would quit if he didn't free Merlin. He had simply stared her down coldly and said that if she mentioned "that boy's" name again, she would be swinging from the gallows before she could blink. She had joined the effort to free Merlin as soon as Gwen mentioned it and was more than happy to give them a safe house away from Camelot.

"Just tell the people there, if there are any, that I sent ya." she told Gwen as she had walked back to the kitchen after their discussion.

Now, Gwen was shaking so hard that she didn't think she would have been able to stand even if she was. Judy rocked her back and forth, mumbling peaceful reassurances in her ear. Finally, the maidservant pulled herself together and sighed.

"Plan one is on starting at noon." she told Judy and the main cook stiffened. Standing up, she commanded Audra and Janet to grab a fresh dress and smock. They placed the outfit into Gwen's arms.

"No!" Judy motioned for them to change her and Gwen blushed deeply as she raised her hands into the air, allowing the maids to easily slip off her dress and slip on another. In less than a second, she was dressed in the coarse attire of the official kitchen maids including the cotton, white apron and hair covering as well as the bun. She blinked and raised her eyebrow in shock. How had they changed her so fast? It had always taken her longer to dress Morgana, but that had probably been because there were 6 kitchen staff and one of her.

"Alright, do you have the guards' lunches?" Gwen asked and a tray with several stews, sausages, and strips of bacon were shoved into her hands. She set them down on a counter and carefully poured the whole bottle of sleeping potion over all of the food. The shaking maidservant pressed another potion into the main cooks' hand and said, "Pour this in their drink, but _only_ in the pitcher that they drink from."

Judy nodded slowly and slipped the flask into her apron pocket. "Consider it done." Gwen smiled sadly and said, "I better go work on the dishes. It's the least I can do."

The big lady looked at her gratefully and turned back to the rest of the kitchen staff. "Act as if Gwen is one of us. If I hear of anyone mistreating this lady, you will be out on the street before you know what hit you! Is that clear?!"

"Yes, Judy." The women said in monotone before they all scuttled back to their places and began cooking twice as fast as before. After about an hour of scrubbing pots, Gwen began to notice that it was so hot that she worked up a sweat just standing still. She looked around and saw that several woman were stirring boiling hot stews or standing over a roaring fire, turning the pig on the spit. Here eyes widened in surprise as she wiped the sweat off of her forehead and continued scrubbing the dishes. 'How can they stand the heat', she wondered as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Finally, she was given the tray and Judy winked at her, her eyes twinkling with pride.

"It's time." She smiled, "I'm glad you didn't skip out on Merlin. It sounds like this is not the time for his friends to be abandoning him."

Gwen nodded and left the boiling room. A blast of cool air smacked her straight in the face and she squeaked in surprise, then blinked several times to make sure her eyes didn't dry out. It felt so much nicer out in the castle hall that she nearly ran away from the door and dropped the tray. What held her back was the thought of Merlin being held in a small, filthy cage and being left to the king's mercy. Kind Merlin, sweet Merlin, friendly Merlin, _magic_ Merlin, Merlin. He should not have been harmed. No one could save Uther from Gwen's wrath. She was so wrapped in her anger that she didn't notice that she had already reached the Traitor's dungeon entrance. There were two guards at the entrance and three guards near the cell.

"Food for the guards," she told the guards at the door. They followed her to the table and grabbed their food, hungrily.

"I'm so hungry, I could eat a cow!" one of them groaned into their stew.

"I'm so hungry that if the prisoner had more meat on him, then I would have considered eating him at this point!" another one replied, and the whole table laughed. Gwen felt her cheeks flush in anger as she turned away and left the table. As she shut the door, four loud banging sounds signaled that the plan was in action. The guards were out of the picture.

* * *

Gwen ran to Arthur's room and slammed the door shut behind her. The three people that had been left in the room (David, Gaius, and Arthur, himself) swarmed around her.

"Did they eat it?"

"Are you okay?"

"How quickly did it take for them to fall asleep?"

Gwen growled and the men backed away, fearing her anger. She took a minute to recompose herself and took several long calming breaths before saying, "Plan one has started. David, go." The servant looked as his feet and shuffled awkwardly, not sure if she meant immediately or if she was going to scold them first. She looked at him, her eyes wide in exasperation.

"NOW!"

David just about bolted out of the room and down the corridor, happy to get out of the increasingly hostile atmosphere that emanated from Arthur's room He turned the corner, ran into the room which hid the Traitors Dungeons, moved the curtain that hid the door, closed his eyes, ran inside and slammed the door, breathing hard. He was hit by a wave of stench that smelled like the combination of human waste, sweat, blood, and vomit and he hoped that the smells were not all coming from one person. When he opened his eyes, the room was just as dark as if he had kept his eyes shut. The serving boy breathed deeply and tried to keep him self form panicking. His eyes began adjusting to the complete lack of light in the dungeon and he spotted a torch at the end of the hall. It looked slightly like a small ball of light in the pitch black cells, but it flickered and flared, making the shadows on the walls jump and dance. He went over to the guards and grabbed the keys from the biggest guards' pocket, being sure not to make too much noise. The guards slept on. David managed to get to the torch by keeping one hand on the wall and the other stretched out in front, but half way to the torch, his hand came across something smooth and slightly gooey. He let out a short scream, then quickly covered his mouth, his eyes wide in fear that the guards would wake up and his breathing short and shallow. The only sounds that he heard were the deep, slow breathing of the sleeping guards and the troubled gasps of the warlockHe felt like he would throw up. The only thing that kept him moving was the thought of having the guilt of another person's death on his hands. It was a terrifying thought which he knew if it happened, he wouldn't be able to live with the guilt. So, he walked on, holding the light out in front of him and taking deep breaths to calm his screaming head.

Finally, he spotted a hunched figure in the corner. The boy was shaking and small whimpering sounds came from it. David realized that the boy was crying. He looked like he was David's age and slightly taller. His limbs were too long and he looked like he was, literally, skin and bones. His raven hair stuck up in several places and looked like it had been yanked, hard, many times.

"Merlin!" David whispered, jamming the key into the lock and running inside. As soon as David touched the boy, he cried harder and lashed out at the servant. "Merlin..." he grabbed the warlock's wrists in his hand, slightly shocked at how much bone he could feel, "I'm here to help you. Arthur sent me."

"Arthur?" Merlin stopped struggling and looked around the room, his eyes not focusing on anything in particular as he began to chant his former masters' name in a longing, anguished way. "Arthur. Arthur. Arthur."

"Yes." He picked up Merlin and was extremely disappointed in how easily he could pick the ex-manservant up. "I'm taking you to see Arthur."

David ran back to the door, closing the cell door behind him and shoving the keys back into the leading guard's pocket before dashing out of the cell, carrying a limp Merlin to safety. Each time he approached a hallway, he peaked his head out and looked both ways before dashing to the next one, each time getting closer and closer to his destination. When he was finally at the last hallway and his arms were starting to get slightly tired, he peaked and saw two huge guards walking down the hallway. _Straight towards him._ He calmed his breathing down and grabbed a metal candle stick in one hand and holding Merlin over his shoulder with the other. Just as they were about to turn the corner, he jumped into their way and slammed the candlestick into the first guards' skull. The guard crumpled to the ground and his buddy stared at his friends unconscious form. David rolled his eyes and knocked the other guard out by smashing his head against the corner of the wall and walked over the two muscles on the ground in two, hopefully unconscious, heaps.

* * *

When David burst through the door with a deathly pale and barely conscious Merlin on his back, Arthur nearly had a heart attack. It didn't feel right to see his friend this weak because of _his father_. For a second when the servant put the boy onto the bed, everything seemed to slow down and he thought, for that one second, that the warlock had stopped breathing. In that moment, his knees went weak and his chest felt empty. His throat was burning and he couldn't breathe. _Merlin. Wasn't. Breathing._

After that horribly slow moment, he managed to catch a glimpse of the slow but steady rise and fall of his friends' chest. His shoulders slumped in relief and the panic in his chest faded, leaving it as full as before. He rushed towards the servant boy, pulled his friend from the other boy's shoulders and placed him on his side. Gaius rushed over with his magic book in hand and his face paled when he looked at the boy who had become a like son to him.

The warlock looked half dead.

After a small pause, the old man sighed in grief mumbled, "Oh, my boy. What have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"Gaius!" Arthur's frantic voice was enough to throw him out of his thoughts. The old man put his hand on the ex-manservant's chest, putting all of the magical energy he had left into the spell.

"**Clausus dolor**." He mumbled the words of the enchantment and felt the magic release in a flash of his eyes. As soon as the energy had fled his body, he stumbled back, breathing hard, sweat forming on his brow. David caught him and helped him walk to a chair, looking nervously at the old man who waved him off but slumped down into the chair. "I'm fine. That spell will hold off the pain until you get to the cabin. Not all of the pain, of course, but most of it. When he gets to the cabin, be sure to get him to a physician, immediately. Remember this: Do. Not. Stop. Don't stop to even answer nature's call. He only has a certain amount of time before..." He gestured to Merlin's injuries, "he'll start to feel it all sink in."

Arthur nodded, thoughtfully. "We should get going." Gaius nodded and put the smelling salts right under his nose. Arthur's eyes widened in shock.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" he yelled at the old man. Merlin sat up with a gasp that sounded like he had risen from the dead.

"Why did you do that?" Merlin coughed. He looked like normal except with a few more scratches than usual. And his back...

"Agh. Why does my back hurt so much?" The warlock nearly put his hand on the bloody mess. Gaius hit the boys' hand away.

"What do you remember?" Arthur asked.

"Well-"

"What day is it?" Gaius glared at Arthur, then turned his concerned gaze back to the boy.

"It's... The fifth. A Saturday, right? My only day..." Suddenly, the warlock paled and looked at Arthur in fear. "Uther. He knows. This is an interrogation, right?" He pointed to David, his hand shaking and his breath starting to hitch. "And he's my replacement, isn't he?"

"This is _not_ an interrogation," Arthur assured him. "but..." he looked away from the boy on the bed, "if that's the last thing you remember, you've missed about six days. It's nearly Saturday. My... father sacked you, and... well, you know he wasn't exactly thankful that you were a sorcerer and you were able to hide under his nose all of those years." Merlin turned even paler than he was already.

"What did I miss?" There was a deathly silence and Merlin knew something big had happened. "Guys, _what did I miss_?"

"Well," David started, "Uther interrogated you for... just about six days."

Merlin's mouth hung opened slightly, his eyes wide in surprise. After a long minute, he rubbed his face and sighed.

"Can I see the damage?" Merlin rubbed his arms. Gaius nodded, gestured at Arthurs' full length mirror and David helped him limp over to the glassy surface. The new manservant pulled the warlock's shirt over his head and show his bruised, battered, and cut body, complete with a back full of bloody whip marks.

"Why can't I feel them?" Tears filled his eyes and the boy began to shake. "Gaius, am I dying?"

"No, my boy." The old physician limped over to the shaking warlock. "I placed a spell on you to block the pain. In a day and a half, you need to be at the cabin with a druid healer, or you may not make it though the night."

Merlin nodded, then looked around the room. It took him a minute to calm down and breathe normally, again. He hugged himself and tried to stop himself from trembling so hard. "If I only have a day and a half, we should really get going."

Arthur looked at Merlin and nodded. "Of course. Morgana and I will meet you about a few miles outside of the citadel. A friend of yours will lead you to our spot."

"Who?" The warlocks' eyebrows rose but the prince just smirked and crossed his arms.

"You'll see."

David took the warlocks' arm and lead him, carefully and swiftly, to the royal stables. The night was crisp, chilly, and as black as if it had been painted by charcoal. A guard nodded towards the new manservant and walked stiffly towards them. Surprisingly, there were no others that guarded the doors and the guard didn't even bar their way. Instead, he inclined his head and took off his helmet and Merlin gasped in shock. Gwaine stood in full guard attire, a large, almost sober grin that was so wide, it looked like it hurt.

"The guards all went out for drinks." The rogue shrugged and the two boys giggled.

"In the middle of their shifts?" David asked.

"They were all very thirsty."

"Will Arthur be getting the bill tomorrow?" Merlin's lips twitched when Gwaine's only answer was giving him his trademark grin.

The two boys were lead into the stables and Gwaine get three horses for all of them and helped Merlin mount his. Then, they were off, riding extremely hard and extremely fast. By the time Camelot's bells tolled about the missing prisoner, they could only hear the soft whispers of the night beyond the wind rushing passed their ears as they rode at full speed towards their destination.

* * *

The night turned into a magnificent sunset with colors splashed across the sky like paint on a clean canvas. As the sun was lifted onto the paint filled sky, the three travelers began to grow weary and irritable. Gwaine lead them through fields and forests, making sure every few feet that the boys were keeping up. The rogue and the two royals had discussed a symbol that would mark their path, yet be unknown to anyone who wanted to follow them. When they finally reached the spot, Morgana gracefully dismounted her horse and ran to Merlin, engulfing him in a hug but adjusting her hands so they rested on his shoulders and not his back. She had, of corse, been forewarned by Arthur, who, at the very moment that she said his name, stumbled up the hill, clumsily, with an armful of firewood. The prince looked at the three travelers and sighed. He set the wood in his bag and got back on his horse which stood next to the four other horses.

"C'mon," he jerked his head towards a small, cobblestone path that cut through the forest and swerved off to the right, farther into the trees. "We're loosing daylight and Merlin only has a limited amount of time until we will need a physician."

David figured that the path will take them to their destination. Merlin thought that he must follow Arthur, even if he wasn't his master anymore. He was Emrys, and Arthur was his Once And Future King. Gwaine just figured that there would probably be a cheap tavern near by and that there better be a druid camp near the cabin.

Morgana mounted her horse and rode behind with the servant, the warlock, and the rogue.

"Arthur will scout ahead to make sure out path is clear. Merlin," she motioned for the raven-haired boy to come over. He lead his horse next to hers and she paused for a moment before sighing. "Does the long riding hurt you at all?"

He shook his head, eyebrows raised in bewilderment. "It actually hurts less than usual. It must have been the spell that Gaius put on me."

Morgana nodded seriously before starting to make light conversation with the others as well. It seemed like the fresh air and countryside brought out the best in everyone. The four friends became as close as family during that ride, laughing, gasping, and reacting to each others stories at exactly the right times. They never ran out of interesting topics to talk about and by the time they stopped to catch a few ours of sleep and caught up to Arthur, David, Merlin, Gwaine, and Morgana were inseparable.

* * *

In the distance in a far off cavern under the city of Camelot, a Great Dragon felt a shift in the destiny between the Witch, Emrys, and the Once And Future King. No longer would the Witch be a threat, but she would be a valuable ally in the near future. But Emrys was about to run into hard times and Strength, the Witch, the Once And Future King, and Kindness, a new part of the prophecy, could save Emrys, now, from his own mind.

* * *

Heya! So... long time, no see. What have you been up to lately? Hopefully, you haven't forgotten about me! I'm back with this story and will continue this... I'm not sure how soon. Let's hope that it's sooner than next month, eh? What do you think? Would that give you enough time to read my story and process the twists? It will probably take you less than a day to read this, so you will have plenty of time to review and follow the story.  
I'm SO sorry for my lateness of this chapter! I've been so busy with my CITing, chess, learning guitar, reading, and other stuff like doctors visits that it's hard to get any writing time in. I hope the length of this new chapter makes up for the horrible timing.  
By the way, have any of you guys heard of the book, "Anna Dressed In Blood"? Its by a woman named Kendare Blake and if you like well written horror stories with several plot twists and turns, or if you LOVE the TV show, 'Supernatural', like I do, PLEASE READ HER BOOKS. The second book, "Girl of Nightmares", just came out on paperback, so be sure to check her stuff out. Kendare Blake has a blog that is absolutely one of the best things that I've ever read and is so brilliant and hilarious. Please check it out when you have the chance.  
As always, reviews and feedback are always incentive for me to write. in other words, the review button is calling your name!  
Thanks for reading!

REM


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